Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

"Mike Kohary" <spam@be.gone> wrote in message
news:c6tj4u$gu2$0@pita.alt.net...
> "Invid Fan" <invid@localnet.com> wrote in message
> news:300420040800378825%invid@localnet.com...
> > In article <slrnc93kks.r3l.nospam@debian.dns2go.com>, Justin
> > <nospam@insightbb.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Invid Fan wrote on [Thu, 29 Apr 2004 21:58:29 -0400]:
> > > > In article <409000c6$0$28917$61fed72c@news.rcn.com>, Derek Janssen
> > > > <djanss@rcn.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> Michael Black wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> > I've never had a VCR, and just got a DVD player last fall. In
> getting
> > > >> > into the stores to look at the DVDs, I keep seeing video
cassettes
> > > >> > that I've never given thought to. Some of them are outright
steals
> > > >> > compared to the same movie on DVD. My take is that the price is
> low
> > > >> > because the stores want to get rid of them.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > It tempts me to buy a VCR right now, so I can buy things like
> "Almost
> > > >> > Famous" for five dolalrs.
> > > >>
> > > >> If, for whatever reason, you've never owned a VCR, you will NEVER
> > > >> understand the appeal of DVD:
> > > >>
> > > >> "I mean, when I finish the tape...I can *rewind* it all the way
back
> to
> > > >> the beginning!--How cool is that? And no matter how many times I
see
> > > >> the movie, the same five minutes of previews will always be on at
the
> > > >> beginning--It's kind of fun to look back!"
> > > >>
> > > > Then again, I wish the DVD specs had inculded the ability for the
> > > > player to remember where you left off watching a disc. Tapes
remember
> > > > where you stopped even days later :)
> > >
> > > All the DVD players in my house remember where it was
> >
> > The three I've had never did once I took the disc out of the player,
> > but maybe I've just been unlucky.
>
> I think these people are misunderstanding you...no player remembers where
> you were at on a disc once you take it out of the player.
>
> Mike
>
Mike, Indeed they do.
My Sony 715 progressive remembers the position of something like fifty
discs. In fact, my SEVEN year old Sony 3000 will even remember something
like twenty <ggg.> It's fairly old technology, I think the correct term is a
"resume" feature. All the best, Mike

DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

http://newsobserver.com/business/sto...-3152506c.html

Closing credits roll for VHS

By MARK MINTON, Staff Writer

For movie buffs still trying to light up their home TV screens with a
VCR, the movie industry is fast unspooling the final scene: the big
kiss-off.

More than 95 percent of American households with television sets own a
VCR. That's nearly twice as many as own a DVD player. But finding a
movie for a VCR is becoming a mystery for the millions of consumers who
haven't made the switch.

They are not always easy to find because, for some retailers, the shift
to DVD has hit critical mass -- and they have dropped VHS.

Best Buy quit ordering VHS movies in the fall and now has none left on
its shelves. Sam's Wholesale Club also has all but phased VHS out over
the past six months, and typically isn't getting VHS copies of new
releases anymore. On a recent day, the Sam's Club in North Raleigh had
no VHS movies on its shelves.

"We may have had a few around, like 'Pirates of the Caribbean' or 'Tomb
Raider II,' but we haven't had too many," said Don Moravciki, manager of
the Sam's Club.

Rental-movie businesses, meanwhile, are down to buying only a token VHS
tape or two for many releases, and no VHS copies for some less-popular
films.

A North Raleigh Blockbuster video store had a single VHS copy of "Lost
in Translation," the Bill Murray movie, compared with two dozen DVD
copies. Video Corner on Duraleigh Road in Raleigh didn't buy a VHS copy
of the movie, said manager Todd Daniels.

He said the movie studios charge the rental businesses more for VHS
movies than for the more profitable DVD versions, discouraging them from
buying VHS versions of all movies, Daniels said. But ever-strengthening
consumer demand for DVDs is also behind the store's stocking decisions,
he said.

Consumers who favor the quality and durability of DVDs have made them
the fastest consumer-technology conversion in history, according to the
Consumer Electronics Association. Movie studios are giving people
another reason to switch by adding extras to DVD tapes, such as deleted
scenes and interviews with cast members.

"It's better quality, and it gives you more for the price -- it's got,
like, behind-the-scenes stuff," said Matthew Wallace, 26, of Creedmoor
as he perused the disks at Wal-Mart.

His is one of an estimated 50 percent of U.S. households with a DVD
player, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

Rene Main of Willow Springs remains a VHS devotee. She recently found a
VHS version of the recent Steve Martin comedy "Cheaper By the Dozen,"
but said it's getting harder all the time to find titles on VHS.

Customers in the market for X-rated movies are having more success. As
DVD players have pushed aside living-room VCRs, many of the old machines
are now set up in more private rooms, said A.B. Burgess, director of
marketing and purchasing for Backstage Video, which has several stores
in the Triangle and sells adults-only fare. He still orders about the
same numbers of VHS and DVD movies.

Although about 45 percent of U.S. households still have only a VCR,
about 65 percent of rental-movie revenue came from DVDs, said Carrie
Dieterich of the Video Software Dealers Association, a trade group. And
the shift will only continue as VHS tapes become less and less available.

But mainstream movie fans can take heart: A basic DVD player can now be
purchased for as little as $39. Some retailers even give them away with
another electronics purchase.

Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

"DigitalDeude" <dddude6r40@hitech.com> wrote in message
news:KIMjc.128224$04.2247729@twister.southeast.rr. com...
> Consumers who favor the quality and durability of DVDs have made them
> the fastest consumer-technology conversion in history, according to
the
> Consumer Electronics Association. Movie studios are giving people
> another reason to switch by adding extras to DVD tapes, such as
deleted
> scenes and interviews with cast members.

"DVD tapes". A brilliantly written article.

> "It's better quality, and it gives you more for the price -- it's got,
> like, behind-the-scenes stuff," said Matthew Wallace, 26, of Creedmoor
> as he perused the disks at Wal-Mart.

With impeccable research.

Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

"DigitalDeude" <dddude6r40@hitech.com> wrote in message
news:KIMjc.128224$04.2247729@twister.southeast.rr. com...
:
: Movie studios are giving people
: another reason to switch by adding extras to DVD tapes,

===========
What is that?

Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 12:32:34 -0700, Derek Janssen <djanss@rcn.com> wrote:
>DigitalDeude wrote:

>> http://newsobserver.com/business/sto...-3152506c.html
>>
>> Closing credits roll for VHS
>>
>> By MARK MINTON, Staff Writer
>>
>> For movie buffs still trying to light up their home TV screens with a
>> VCR, the movie industry is fast unspooling the final scene: the big
>> kiss-off.
>>
>> More than 95 percent of American households with television sets own a
>> VCR. That's nearly twice as many as own a DVD player. But finding a
>> movie for a VCR is becoming a mystery for the millions of consumers who
>> haven't made the switch.

>Think that's hard?--Try finding a VCR:
>The one I'd had for seven years quit on me last month, so had to go to
>Best Buy (because a Tivo won't play old tapes)...

>Simply put, there ARE no VCR's on the shelf--Unless you count six or
>seven different brands of cheesy entry-level VCR/DVD combos.
>Out of four dedicated VCR's, picked up a Sony for $89....Try doing
>*that* in 1992. 0_0

Maybe you should shop elsewhere.

Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

"TCS" <The-Central-Scrutinizer@p.o.b.o.x.com> wrote in message
news:slrnc8vo9m.7l9.The-Central-Scrutinizer@linux.client.comcast.net...
> On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 12:32:34 -0700, Derek Janssen <djanss@rcn.com> wrote:
> >DigitalDeude wrote:
>
> >> http://newsobserver.com/business/sto...-3152506c.html
> >>
> >> Closing credits roll for VHS
> >>
> >> By MARK MINTON, Staff Writer
> >>
> >> For movie buffs still trying to light up their home TV screens with a
> >> VCR, the movie industry is fast unspooling the final scene: the big
> >> kiss-off.
> >>
> >> More than 95 percent of American households with television sets own a
> >> VCR. That's nearly twice as many as own a DVD player. But finding a
> >> movie for a VCR is becoming a mystery for the millions of consumers who
> >> haven't made the switch.
>
> >Think that's hard?--Try finding a VCR:
> >The one I'd had for seven years quit on me last month, so had to go to
> >Best Buy (because a Tivo won't play old tapes)...
>
> >Simply put, there ARE no VCR's on the shelf--Unless you count six or
> >seven different brands of cheesy entry-level VCR/DVD combos.
> >Out of four dedicated VCR's, picked up a Sony for $89....Try doing
> >*that* in 1992. 0_0
>
> Maybe you should shop elsewhere.

I think you missed the point...it really doesn't matter where he shops. The
VCR is taking its last gasp.

Mike

Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:59:38 -0700, Mike Kohary <spam@be.gone> wrote:
>"TCS" <The-Central-Scrutinizer@p.o.b.o.x.com> wrote in message
>news:slrnc8vo9m.7l9.The-Central-Scrutinizer@linux.client.comcast.net...
>> On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 12:32:34 -0700, Derek Janssen <djanss@rcn.com> wrote:
>> >DigitalDeude wrote:
>>
>> >> http://newsobserver.com/business/sto...-3152506c.html
>> >>
>> >> Closing credits roll for VHS
>> >>
>> >> By MARK MINTON, Staff Writer
>> >>
>> >> For movie buffs still trying to light up their home TV screens with a
>> >> VCR, the movie industry is fast unspooling the final scene: the big
>> >> kiss-off.
>> >>
>> >> More than 95 percent of American households with television sets own a
>> >> VCR. That's nearly twice as many as own a DVD player. But finding a
>> >> movie for a VCR is becoming a mystery for the millions of consumers who
>> >> haven't made the switch.
>>
>> >Think that's hard?--Try finding a VCR:
>> >The one I'd had for seven years quit on me last month, so had to go to
>> >Best Buy (because a Tivo won't play old tapes)...
>>
>> >Simply put, there ARE no VCR's on the shelf--Unless you count six or
>> >seven different brands of cheesy entry-level VCR/DVD combos.
>> >Out of four dedicated VCR's, picked up a Sony for $89....Try doing
>> >*that* in 1992. 0_0
>>
>> Maybe you should shop elsewhere.

>I think you missed the point...it really doesn't matter where he shops. The
>VCR is taking its last gasp.

No argument there. DVD:VHS==CDR:cassette

My current VCR is going to be my last VCR. I no longer use it to record
shows as that task has been taken over by a PC running digital recorder
software.

Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

DigitalDeude wrote:
> Consumers who favor the quality and durability of DVDs have made them
> the fastest consumer-technology conversion in history, according to the
> Consumer Electronics Association. Movie studios are giving people
> another reason to switch by adding extras to DVD tapes, such as deleted
> scenes and interviews with cast members.
>

DVD "tapes"? Yikes, who wrote this article, my dad? I remember once
hearing somebody refer to "Nintendo tapes," meaning the cartridges.

> "It's better quality, and it gives you more for the price -- it's got,
> like, behind-the-scenes stuff," said Matthew Wallace, 26, of Creedmoor
> as he perused the disks at Wal-Mart.
>

Journalism tip #1: Don't just grab the nearest idiot for an opinion.

> Rene Main of Willow Springs remains a VHS devotee. She recently found a
> VHS version of the recent Steve Martin comedy "Cheaper By the Dozen,"
> but said it's getting harder all the time to find titles on VHS.
>

I could understand sticking with VHS if one were unable or unwilling to
spend the cash (around $100) for a decent player from a name brand. But
if you have the cash to continue buying movies, why not just make the
switch? And don't tell me they're buying VHS tapes for their kids. Go
look at the price of typical Disney VHS tape. Then look at the same
movie on DVD. You tend to pay *more* for VHS, because they are
inherently more expensive to make, for one thing.

> But mainstream movie fans can take heart: A basic DVD player can now be
> purchased for as little as $39. Some retailers even give them away with
> another electronics purchase.
>

Yeah, a piece of garbage that you'll replace in less than a year.

--
"Don't ask me, I'm just a girl!"
--Hilary Clinton

Grand Inquisitor
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost

Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

Grand Inquisitor (zork@columbus.rr.com) writes:
> DigitalDeude wrote:
>> Consumers who favor the quality and durability of DVDs have made them
>> the fastest consumer-technology conversion in history, according to the
>> Consumer Electronics Association. Movie studios are giving people
>> another reason to switch by adding extras to DVD tapes, such as deleted
>> scenes and interviews with cast members.
>>
>
> DVD "tapes"? Yikes, who wrote this article, my dad? I remember once
> hearing somebody refer to "Nintendo tapes," meaning the cartridges.
>
>> "It's better quality, and it gives you more for the price -- it's got,
>> like, behind-the-scenes stuff," said Matthew Wallace, 26, of Creedmoor
>> as he perused the disks at Wal-Mart.
>>
>
> Journalism tip #1: Don't just grab the nearest idiot for an opinion.
>
>> Rene Main of Willow Springs remains a VHS devotee. She recently found a
>> VHS version of the recent Steve Martin comedy "Cheaper By the Dozen,"
>> but said it's getting harder all the time to find titles on VHS.
>>
>
> I could understand sticking with VHS if one were unable or unwilling to
> spend the cash (around $100) for a decent player from a name brand. But
> if you have the cash to continue buying movies, why not just make the
> switch? And don't tell me they're buying VHS tapes for their kids. Go
> look at the price of typical Disney VHS tape. Then look at the same
> movie on DVD. You tend to pay *more* for VHS, because they are
> inherently more expensive to make, for one thing.
>
I'm not sure about that.

I've never had a VCR, and just got a DVD player last fall. In getting
into the stores to look at the DVDs, I keep seeing video cassettes
that I've never given thought to. Some of them are outright steals
compared to the same movie on DVD. My take is that the price is low
because the stores want to get rid of them.

It tempts me to buy a VCR right now, so I can buy things like "Almost
Famous" for five dolalrs.

It's basically the same situation as we saw ten years or so ago,
when I kept finding, and buying, really good music cassettes because
they were being sold off at low prices. This wasn't the "it's horrible
junk and nobody will buy it" type of music that you wouldn't seek out
in the first place, but well known artists that were selling on CD.

Michael

Re: DVD's finally kicked VHS's ass
 

I have no intention of getting rid of my VCR. Yes, I only buy movies on
DVD to view, but I have a couple of shows that I record daily to watch
when I have the time. I watch 'em, rewind 'em, and record over them the
next day. Sure the quality sucks, but I'm only watching it once. When
the tape dies, I put in another and I'm good to go for another whirl.

I'd never give up my DVDs though! Almost all the movies I had on tape
have been replaced with DVD. I'd never buy a VHS tape again. There are
a few, however, that aren't available on DVD so I have to have a VCR to
watch them.